NEWS & CURRENT ACTIVITES

Saturday, May 31, 2008

His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, today gave two public teachings on “Building a Strong Foundation for Spiritual Practice” to an audience of approximately 3,000 at Seattle’s famous Paramount Theater. The topic of the teachings was the preliminary practices of Tibetan Buddhism. His Holiness taught on the four preliminary practices of refuge and bodhichitta, Vajrasattva, mandala offerings, and guru yoga. In the evening, His Holiness granted an audience to a large group of representatives and members of the organizing sanghas whose volunteer efforts helped to make his first visit to the United States possible. Read the rest of this article

Friday, May 30, 2008

Today His Holiness engaged in site-seeing activities in Seattle and granted audiences at Nalanda West. In the morning, His Holiness and his party were treated to a guided tour of the Museum of Flight, home of the original manufacturing facility of the Boeing Company, where His Holiness saw displays related to past lunar missions and received the latest news about data coming in from missions to Mars. In the afternoon, His Holiness was taken on a boat tour of Lake Union and Lake Washington, the two main lakes adjacent to Seattle.
In the afternoon, His Holiness granted a blessing and teaching audience to members of Nalandabodhi, the students of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, principal organizer of Karmapa in America ’08. In the evening, His Holiness gave two well-attended audiences for members of the Tibetan community hosted by the local Tibetan Association. Read the rest of this article

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Today His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Drodul Trinley Dorje, made his first visit ever to Seattle, Washington, where he was greeted by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, the principal organizer of Karmapa in America ’08, at Rinpoche’s main center of activity in the United States, Nalanda West. At the tea and rice reception at Nalanda West, at which Ponlop Rinpoche and other representatives of dharma centers offered His Holiness a mandala and representations of body, speech, and mind, His Holiness and his party were also presented offerings of delicious coffee by Starbucks. Starbucks baristas presented His Holiness with a latte, which His Holiness said he enjoyed. Starbucks generously sponsored the offerings to His Holiness and his party. Read more

Monday-Wednesday, May 26-28, 2008

From Monday, May 26, through Wednesday, May 28, His Holiness Karmapa visited two of the state of California’s most famous cities as part of a rest and recreation segment of his historic first visit to the United States. On Monday, His Holiness briefly swept through San Francisco, giving a short teaching and blessings at Kagyu Droden Kunchab, a Kalu Rinpoche center run by Lama Lodru Rinpoche. His Holiness also gave a brief address to and was ceremoniously greeted by a gathering of members of Palpung Lungtok Choling, a center of His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche, who received His Holiness at a San Francisco hotel. That night, His Holiness and his party made their way to Los Angeles. Read more

Sunday, May 25, 2008

His Holiness had a very full day today, conducting private interviews, giving two public talks at Boulder’s Macky Auditorium, granting a question-and-answer audience for the organizing sanghas of the Boulder visit, and granting an audience to an assembly of hundreds of members of the Boulder Tibetan community at the Boulder Shambhala Center. The topic for His Holiness’s public teachings was “Healing the Environment Through the Mind of Enlightenment,” and at the Tibetan community audience His Holiness gave advice to the assembly and conferred the reading transmission of Avalokiteshvara.

His Holiness will now be taking a few days of private rest. He will resume public teachings on Saturday, May 31 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. Read the rest of this article

Quotes from the 17th Karmapa

Each person must find his or her own path. Nonetheless, seek guidance from wise and compassionate people and listen to them earnestly. This will help you find the best way to proceed – now and in the future.- Karmapa on Guidance

All traditions, whether religious or secular, have developed to benefit human society. In the event that a tradition or system becomes harmful, there’s no need to insist on following it.- Karmapa on Tradition

Human beings are the most intelligent and resourceful species on earth. If we use our intelligence to cause more suffering, rather than to bring some real benefit to others and ourselves, we are no better than beasts.- Karmapa on Intelligence

Just to simply relax and rest in your own natural state is all that you need to do. When you give yourself that opportunity, you’ll find that presence extends to the other parts of your life.- Karmapa on Meditation

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